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Florida Department of Environmental Protection - STORET public newsletter
May 2013
Upcoming IWR Schedule
The next IWR run is scheduled
for June 2014. Your data is
valuable to many different
program areas for the state of
Florida. We ask that you
continue to submit data on a
quarterly basis to help support
these programs, as well as
federal programs through
Florida’s WQX submittals.
For more information on the
upcoming IWR schedule, please
see page 3 of this newsletter.
If you have any questions or
would like assistance with data
preparation, please contact your
Storet Coordinator.
Volume 5, Issue 2
IMPORTANT: Chlorophyll-a Results in Florida STORET: Reporting
of Sample Fraction
Whether under the current narrative or the proposed numeric criteria, chlorophyll-a will
continue to play a central role in the assessment of the health of surface waters of the
state. Consequently, it is particularly important that this analyte be reported accurately
when loading data to Florida STORET. Among other uses, chlorophyll-a data loaded to
Florida STORET are used to assess the health of surface waters of the state under the
State of Florida Identification of Impaired Surface Waters rule (Chapter 62-303, Florida
Administrative Code).
Based on a recent review of data loaded to Florida STORET, it has come to our attention
that there may be some confusion surrounding the reporting of the sample fraction when
loading result records for chlorophyll-a. In particular it appears that this confusion
centers on the reporting of filterable vs. non-filterable fractions.
Recent Announcements
To ensure your data are being reported as accurately as possible, please review the
Data Quality Assurance Rules
downloadable PDF Chlorophyll-a Results in Florida STORET: Reporting of Sample Fraction
STORET Public Access (SPA)
2012 Integrated Water Quality
Assessment for Florida: 305(b)
Report and 303(d) List Update
FDEP Watershed Assessment
Team Proficiency Testing for the Lake Vegetation Index (LVI)
Source:Quality of Science eNewsletter
2013 Team Proficiency Testing for the Lake Vegetation Index (LVI), per SOP LVI 1200
FDEP TMDL Program
(replaces SOP FA 4330, final approval imminent), will be conducted June 1-30, 2013
BMAPs
For those entities that wish to submit LVI data to DEP, each LVI sampling team must con-
Contact Us
duct the testing at one of the following lakes independently between June 1-30, 2013:
Lucas Lake, Washington County; Lake Ariana, Polk County; Lake Butler, Union County .
Each team participating in testing is strongly encouraged have at least one team member
who has passed the online plant ID test (anytime in the past year). For more information, contact Nia Wellendorf ([email protected]) or click here.
How to report a “Dry Monitoring Location” in STORET
Have you ever come to a sampling location only to find the water level too low to measure flow data or even collect a
sample? In cases like this, recording that the waterbody is low or dry can be just as important as recording a healthy
flow or sample. The information can be used for status, trends, strategic monitoring, etc. Recording this information
will also let the FDEP Assessment Team know that a measurement or sample was not taken from this site at that time
due to lack of water.
So how does one record, in STORET, a dry site? You can enter your attempt to sample by entering one of the
following characteristics for that site: “Flow, severity (choice list)” or “Flow, stream stage (choice list)”. These
characteristics have choice lists for you to chose from, one choice being “DRY”. Entering one of these characteristics
and the option for DRY records that this site was dry at the time of the sampling event.
This information will need to be entered into your SIM file manually or entered through the STORET Data Entry
Module. For a tutorial on how to enter this information through the STORET Data Entry Module, click here .
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your STORET coordinator.
Hurricane Season is Back
Once again, the stormy season is approaching and we would like to recap a few points on
reporting data related to storm events.
Data affected by Hurricanes or Tropical Storms
Hurricanes may have a significant impact on water quality monitoring in the State of
Florida. As a result of the conditions these storms leave in their path, much of the water
quality data collected in Florida could be affected.
FDEP is requesting that our data providers use the words “HURRICANE “ or “TROPICAL
STORM” (all CAPS, no abbr. or quotations) in the Result_Comment field where results may have been affected by
storm conditions. The result value should be qualified by entering an R in the value qualifier field when samples are
collected during or within 48 hours of the storm event.
When an R is entered in the value qualifier field, you should also enter **R** in the result comment field in addition to
any other value qualifiers that may be reported (2 examples: **RI**, **RTJ**). The Result_Comment might look like
this: **RTJ** HURRICANE
It may also be informative to include specific information such as the name of the storm.
With data collected for hurricane-specific projects, FDEP is requesting that “HURR “be provided as the first 4
characters of the Project_ID (8-character field).
It is up to the agency’s discretion as to which data should be considered hurricane-affected. We recommend notating
any samples for which you believe the results are significantly different due to the hurricanes. For example, data taken
from an area that was within the track of a hurricane for the month following would be reasonable.
Data affected by Significant Rainfall – But NOT Considered a Hurricane or Tropical Storm
When samples are collected during or within 48 hours of a significant rainfall event, the result value should be
qualified by entering an R in the value qualifier field. When an R is entered in the value qualifier field you should also
enter **R** in the result comment field. It is optional, but may be informative, to also include specific information
about the storm event in the result comment field.
R
Significant rain in the past 48 hours. (Significant rain typically involves rain in excess of 1/2 inch
within the past 48 hours.) This code shall be used when the rainfall might contribute to a lower
than normal value.
Change for Assessment Cycle of Group 2 Basins
In anticipation of numeric nutrient criteria (NNC) for lakes, streams, and springs that the Department adopted in
December 2011 becoming effective, the Department wishes to update you on a change for the assessment cycle of the
waterbodies in the Group 2 basins. Based on the watershed management cycle, the Department would typically
assess the waterbodies in Group 2 basins in 2013; however, we are postponing this year’s assessment cycle to align
our monitoring programs with our assessment cycle under the new numeric nutrient criteria.
For more information, visit the FDEP Watershed Assessment News & Announcements site. Or view the Memo to
Stakeholders
At this time, there should be no changes in schedules for uploading data to FL STORET. In addition to Impaired
Waters Rules assessments, your data are used for a range of purposes, including TMDL development, BMAPs, and
standards development. The Department needs timely access to these data and the current schedule provides for
that.
Public Workshops
The public is invited to attend a workshop on draft nutrient TMDLs proposed for impaired waters in the Upper
East Coast Basin. The workshop will be held at 9:30 am on Friday, April 12, 2013 at Daytona Beach Regional Library (north
auditorium), 105 East Magnolia Ave., Daytona Beach, Florida. Draft TMDL reports are available from the Department’s Draft
TMDLs webpage. Written comments on these TMDLs will be accepted through April 27, 2013 and they should be directed to:
[email protected]
The Department Announces...
The FINAL lists of impaired waters for Group 1 Basins (Cycle 3): Everglades West Coast, Lake Okeechobee,
Ock-
lawaha, Ochlockonee – St. Marks, Suwannee, and Tampa Bay.
These lists were adopted by a February 12, 2013 Secretarial Order signed by DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard, Jr. The Verified and Delist lists can be found at the link above, and include the Office of General Counsel case numbers for the listings.
The availability of amended verified and delist lists of impaired waters for the Cycle 2 - Group 2 and Group 4 Basins.
As part of the agency action adopting the list of impaired waters for the Group 1 basins, the Department also revised the
verified lists of impaired waters and delist lists by Secretarial Order for the Group 2 Tampa Bay Tributaries and Group 4
Withlacoochee basins. The amended lists can be found at the links provided above and include the Office of General Counsel case numbers for the listings.
For more information, visit the FDEP Watershed Assessment Program web site.
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
2600 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee FL 32399
Phone: (850) 245-8509
All photos are used with permission of the proprietor
Comments and submissions can be sent to [email protected]